(The Associated Press circulated the following story on March 27.)
SACRAMENTO — Two Sacramento-area Amtrak conductors were indicted Thursday on federal embezzlement charges, while a third has agreed to plead guilty, prosecutors said.
Robert B. Hellam, 42, of Fiddletown was charged with one felony and 20 misdemeanor counts alleging theft of government property. He is alleged to have embezzled more than $24,500 he had collected selling cash fare tickets on trains between Sept. 24, 1999, and May 30, 2001.
Myisha Angela Farr, 31, of Sacramento faces 14 similar charges for allegedly embezzling more than $5,000 between Nov. 1, 1999, and Sept. 24, 2001, while selling tickets as an assistant conductor.
The third conductor, whom prosecutors identified only as Anderson, 41, of Copperopolis was charged Wednesday and simultaneously entered a plea agreement admitting misdemeanor embezzlement of more than $8,000 he collected between June 22, 1999, and May 14, 2002. He agreed to pay Amtrak $10,273.06 to cover the embezzled funds and additional missing tickets.
The felony charge can bring a maximum 10-year prison term, while misdemeanor theft brings up to one year in prison.